? >> this sunday on close-up, the impact of this race could affect the balance of power in the u.s. senate and it appears to be going down the wire. m maggie hassan. what does the future hold for the republican party? we will talk to reince priebus about the trump affect. thank you for joining us. i am josh mcelveen. this will be the most expensive race in state history with the price tag close to $100 million if not north of that. when voters go behind the curtain on election day they

during turbulent times. the time is now for the candidates to make their case. i'm joined by governor hassan. let's start with, tying it to the senate race. >> this is a false and outrageous attack on my family. my police after they received an allegation of sexual misconduct. my campaign returned donations and give them to charity. this is an example of how far special interest backscreen senator ayotte in this race will go to get her to washington. josh: the answer you gave after this was public is he sensed

to walk a very fine line on a number of questions. how genuine -- how did you arrive at the answer? he sensed something was wrong but you were not sure what? ms. hassan: i has been and i both have jobs that require we keep information confidential. i lived on campus and the offender retired suddenly and moved off-campus. when you are a part of a community you sent something is on sure we continue to make the case to the people of the state about what this race is about. to get things done in small businesses and for washington to build a future where the middle class is thriving, and where parents are confident kids will have the kind of future we all want them to have, a better life

latest ad against me as well as some other things, is a really desperate attempt by corporate special interests with whom senator ayotte has been voting consistently throughout her time in washington. they will politicize anything to try to get her back because when you look at her record, she voted with the koch brothers nearly 90% of the time in her first four years in office, voted to cut pell grawh state tuition and lower our community colleges. she has voted to defund land parenthood and said we should overturn roe v wade when new hampshire by a large was to make sure that women can control their own reproductive health decisions and get access to health care and control their own features. we have a pressing heroin and

united states senator, i would get emergency funding that we all agree we need to combat this. as of the things people from new hampshire are talking to me about and i have tried to work on, and we have made some progress. we have a 2.9% unemployment rate. cnbc said we are the most business friendly state in the country. if you can focusth to do. josh: that would be a fantastic resume if you were running for reelection, but if there is a perceived shortcoming in your experience, with foreign policy, how are you able to bone up on some of the issues we are facing overseas beyond being able to answer a question about the iran nuclear deal? ms. hassan: my first job as governor is the security of our

more state troopers on the roads. we have done and enhanced safety plans in school. we have actor to the active shooter to -- active shooter training for our law enforcement. we are doing training with state employees on cyber security, and getting rid of old hard and software that makes his honorable. i have stood up for our national guard and and proud to be country. that basic knowledge of the importance of putting things into place to keep us safe, we have also expanded our information analysis center so we can continue to do the kind of work of information sharing to make it safer. as of the things i have done as governor those -- that is the approach i would take to the united states senate. we are the strongest military in

that we have to be forceful with the world and use military might only as a last resort. i have put forward a security plan to destroy isis wherever it is. there are any number of things we need to do that including increasing airstrikes in syria, making sure our special operations forces are being used effectivelygo and control against isis. also boosting our intelligence capabilities and making sure that we are working with international partners to arm moderate forces that can help us take on isis. among other things, the united states congress is long overdue in debating and approving a new authorization of use of military force, so we can be clear with the american people what it is going to take to destroy isis. there are a number of things we

homeland and that includes expanding background checks so terrorists cannot get guns online. that is something different i have done for my opponent. she declined to expand background checks. those of the things that will continue to work on. the most important thing we have to do in addition to standing up to aggression from russia and china and making sure nuclear weapons do not fall into the weapons do not fall into the wrong hands, it is important we states of america as the economic and military leader of the free world. that is what we need new leadership in washington to do. josh: he will be asked for your input and position on a wide array of things. i am curious how much homework you have had to do on examining the impact of the brexit vote and that sort of thing. ms. hassan: as governor, and i

nominated to be the next united states senator, you are always taking in new information and analyzing it to you can make good judgments. i certainly am proud to have as a friend and mentor senator shaheen, and i consult with a lot of different people with different perspectives and understandings whether it is national security experts, foreign-policy experts, people in government now. i take that information, sometimes conversations and sometimes the best judgment i can moving forward. i talked to the people of new hampshire a lot. we are blessed to have an engaged group of citizens on any issue. the first job of government is to keep its people safe. you cannot have freedom without security. our ability to be the leaders we are depends on keeping our homeland safe and protecting our

josh: win or lose there is going to be an upset group within the electorate, because the opponent has almost become the enemy. where does it begin to get past that and start coming together here in new hampshire and as a nation? ms. hassan: when i travel around our state and i am so honored to be able to do it, i see granite stater's in times of great celebration. it might be a retirement a new business. i also see them at times of great challenge, a natural disaster, layoff, or family illness. we are very proud of our individual spirit but we also understand how important community is to fostering individualism. we solve problems like nowhere else. we work together even when we have political differences. i think we will always do our best as elected leaders and best as elected leaders and citizens if we follow that

day, what i know is that if we all follow the example of the people of new hampshire we will not only heal some divisions but will move forward and lead. josh: best of luck. nine days to go. ms. hassan: thank you very much. josh: we would be right back with the incumbent senator. but three years from now, a routine screening will catch it early and make all the difference. so when chris sununu voted to cut funding for planned parenthood, cutting access to cancer screenings and birth control for thousands of women, it's politics for him. for molly, it's the rest of her life. the stakes are too high to make chris sununu governo. this advertisement has been paid for by put new hampshire first

lly ayotte... this is where ayotte voted with the koch brothers 90% of the time. ayotte's campaigns collected millions from corporate interests. and voted for them, not you. she voted wall street banks billions in write offs for executive bonuses. voted big oil billions in tax breaks. but kelly ayotte voted against letting families refinance student loans. and against lowering the cost of prescription drugs. kelly ayotte's not working for new hampshire. dscc is responsible for the content of this advertising. des with the special interests. vivian: now, she's even playing politic games with medicare. vo: kelly ayotte voted to cut medicare and cost seniors up to $1,700 more for prescriptions... while protecting tax breaks for the wall street banks and big oil companies that fund her campaign. fred: kelly ayotte sold us out. britt: with kelly ayotte, it's all politics. joanne: she's not looking out for new hampshire anymore. vo: senate majority pac is responsible

josh: welcome back. when she was elected in 2010, kelly ayotte was viewed as the future of the republican party. the task at hand is to fight off a mighty challenge in an election that no one saw coming. thank you for being here. ms. ayotte: good to be here. josh: nine people, campaigning, bagging groceries and listening to the people of new hampshire. josh: are you staying away from the tvs because you are being carpet bombed on the airwaves? ms. ayotte: on the special interest allies my opponent has, they know they want her to be a rubber stamp for their agenda in washington and i'm going to stand up for the people of new

distinction and asking you about it? ms. ayotte: i am not sure they understand. i offered governor hassan the people's pledge which is the same pledge in place between elizabeth warren and scott brown. senator shaheen offered that pledge in her race so we could have kept this money out. governor hassan clearly wanted all of these super packs in so i'm going to get out and shake the hands of voters. josh: do you feel any pressure? both sides have been criticized about being too careful with their answers. everybody is trying to walk that fine line without getting anyone to bring matt. -- too mad. ms. ayotte: i have done 50 town halls in person and over the phone so i'm not afraid to get out there and answer the questions. there are some big differences

if you think of the taxes that governor hassan has pushed on small businesses and families, i'm going to let you keep more money. she supported the dangerous iran agreement. i am against it. health care, i am hearing so much about higher deductibles, higher premiums and co-pays on the trail. josh: small businesses are talking a lot about that. as far as the race, has there been an evolution to your campaign? i'm not going to a recognize an angry or frustration out there. did it take a while for other down ballot campaigns to recognize that something different is going on? ms. ayotte: i think people are frustrated with things like paying higher deductibles, co-pays, this one-size-fits-all from washington. small businesses work really hard and you have washington pushing more regulations and making it more difficult.

i want to make sure our businesses create good paying jobs, and veterans, let's get them the care they have earned defending this nation. josh: obviously you feel that some of these things have not been talked about enough. ms. ayotte: i think it needs to be about the issues because that is what i hear on the trail. who is going to fight for the people of new hampshire and stand up for them no matter what, ande work with people to find common ground to get results? i have one of the most bipartisan records in the senate. josh: we are talking about finding common ground, within the republican party there is a lot of different factions. ms. ayotte: it is the same thing on the other side. josh: maybe more, 2010 you have the tea party and now you have trump folks. are you explaining more than you should rather than describing

race, i think there are huge differences on taxes and bending. governor hassan, a long history of increasing taxes for families in new hampshire. thing thing with national security. i have developed expertise on the armed services committee, and those issues are important, like iran where we differ. issues like looking at the health care law, these are the major issues in the race. to fight against the status quo to stop these problems that i know people are so -- frustrated about, that is what this comes down to. josh: you said you are not going to be voting for donald trump and you do not support him. will you be voting for hillary clinton? ms. ayotte: i am not voting for hillary clinton. i will stand up for either side if it is not best for new hampshire. i will also be looking to find

heroin epidemic, better paying jobs, lower health care cost. governor hassan, i do not see her standing up to hillary clinton. i will and i will stand up to my own party. josh: governor hassan said one of the things she would do would be to get emergency provisions to fight the opioid epidemic. why isn't there a greater recognition to get this money on the part of congress? ms. ayotte: passed a comprehensive addiction act this summer. senator shaheen and i have been working to fight for more money. i supported emergency appropriations and there is some seed money in that bill. the money that went, that is already in place at the legislator put to our address

those out in the community to help people. josh: when you are down in washington and talking to a colleague from iowa or montana, do they get how serious a problem this is? ms. ayotte: i think they are getting it because we brought it to their attention they are seeing it in their own states. that is why we were able to pass major legislation this summer. that is why we did it some seed money bill that only goes until november, and i am fighting to have this fully funded. senator shaheen and i have been working together and we will do everything to make sure there are resources to address prevention, education, treatment, and recovery. josh: if voters see fit to give you a second term -- term, you will have a president that you disagree with.

each other. ms. ayotte: i am going to be that independent voice for new hampshire and stand up for the people of the state and country. somebody who has artie demonstrated with my record that i can get things done. we need to solve problems and come together. we have $19 trillion in debt. we have got to create better jobs. josh: go the extra mile to get these things done and to get the conversation going? we keep talking about it. ms. ayotte: i am going to give all that i have and keep fighting for the people of new hampshire and this country. this is the greatest country on earth, the greatest state in this country. there is nothing more important to me than getting up to fight with all my being. josh: nine days to go, can you believe it?

he ran it into the ground. chris sununu cut jobs, and cut workers' hours so he wouldn't have to provide health insurance. colin van ostern went to college on student loans, became a stonyfield business manager. then a top executive at college for america. colin van ostern: i'm colin van ostern. real success is helping others get ahead. a bright new hampshire future starts with looking out for people. andrew crossley: new hampshire has a senator who works just as hard as we do. gerardine ferlins: kelly ayotte believes in the potential of new hampshire, and wants to unleash that potential. ron goguen: she's out there fighting for good-paying jobs. andrew crossley: kelly introduced bipartisan training initiatives to make sure we have the skills for the 21st century. sue winter: she's fought against workplace discrimination - and for equal pay. claude poisson: she's working for the little guy - i'm the little guy. barb fredette: we need kelly fighting for good new hampshire jobs so our kids can raise their families here. sue martin: kelly is a powerful voice for new hampshire's working families.

would you tell them to be like donald trump? would you point to him as a role model? absolutely i would do that. like to punch him in the face. ahh, i don't know what i said. she ate like a pig. he's a war hero 'cause he was captured. i like people that weren't captured. i love war. yes, including with nukes. wrong. and shoot somebody. ahh, i don't remember. would you point to him as a role model? absolutely i would do that. and you can tell them... to go [bleep] themselves. priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertising. josh: we will see what happens on election day but if things go self for the republicans -- south for the republicans they believe the party may need to be rebuilt. reince priebus is my next guest. mr. priebus: good to be here. josh: big picture, what has this year been like?

year and two years. it is no secret. i expect to win in 12 days and i think it is because it is a change election. anytime you have a change election the electorate is constantly balancing the risk for the change and as long as the risk is not too great they will make the change. josh: it is actually nine days when you are watching this because it was taped on thursday. donald trump and his impact on the party. is it as dramatic as it may seem to be? you have the trump folks over here in the establishment folks over there trying to hold their nose and get through this. how accurate is that portrayal? mr. priebus: i do not think it is accurate. he is a different kind of

he has brought millions of people in our party, received more votes than any republican in the history of our party. a rally in eastern north carolina with 20,000 people. another rally, you have 20,000 people waiting outside. there is something real you have to acknowledge happening across the country. the polls are tightening and i think it will be very close, and i expect him to win. josh: washe it was always reported he is talking with wright's previous, you got him in a room -- reince priebus, you got him in a room and said you need to expand it and here is how you do it. i imagine that conversation happened. did he listen? mr. priebus: i think he is listening. he has been delivering policy messages and has honed in on the teleprompter which i think it is

get out of that primary mode and into the general election mode. what you see in the polls is every single time he does that, every time he gets into that group of talking about policy and what he would do and why hillary clinton is a bad choice, all of a sudden the polls tighten. you have seen that the past couple of weeks. that video came out and it is not something i condone or he condones. once we move away from that, stick to the policy, stay on tightening. josh: you are in new hampshire nine days before the election. as you game this thing out, new hampshire has got to have it. mr. priebus: we have a great team in new hampshire. they have been around, they know how to win. we have been investing in this program but i feel like new hampshire is a must win for us, i really do.

kelly ayotte. she is a much better choice. i have seen her in washington and she works nonstop, she is smart, she's a prosecutor. have all of our chips on the table. josh: i have to ask you about new hampshire's first in the nation primary spot. a lot of people understand what you are getting at but has there been an evolution of your opinion on this saying that was simply to restate of who writes these rules. we cannot say people are permanently protected from anything but i want the people to know we have been very impressed new hampshire. they take it very seriously. we have an awesome team and i know the voters care about the future of our country and making

and want it to continue leading our country. i do not get to write the rules myself, that was my only point. josh: and it was not anything personal? mr. priebus: no. josh: you have been running this party how long? mr. priebus: six years and does go years as general counsel before that. josh: turbulent times. are you going to do it again? mr. priebus: i am not the party has delivered like never before. even the 2004 reelect which people consider the bush reelect the gold standard, we are bigger than that. we have done what we said we are going to do and now we need to finish this off and make sure it is a good day on tuesday. josh: are you convinced when you were talking to members of the

same umbrella? the division exists on the other side that maybe to a greater degree on the test in the republican party. -- in the republican party. mr. priebus: when i'm online people is this is not italy. we do not have 12 parties. it is two parties. we are not going to agree with each other but the only way to win is by adding other people in the door and not telling folks to leave theou you have got to multiply and add . josh: people coming to the party, i know that was the goal. mr. priebus: obviously we cannot win with 60 million votes. we need to do better than mitt romney did and we are doing better than 2012, and the democrats are doing worse. josh: are you going to write a

i would not do any tell-all stuff. josh: good to see you. thank you very much for watching. we will be back next week. the patriots. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.

announcer: today on "matter of fact" -- come along to the big apple for a view of politics in a new york state of mind. >> i grew up in new york. announcer: a g.o.p. operative talks about trump's political brand. what happens if he loses? >> i heard stories at construction sites before he was as big as he is now. announcer: plus, radio shock waves. dean: i'm your muslim friend. questions on the air. turning fierce critics into friendly followers. and new york's first lady sits down with soledad. what drives her to advocate for people suffering with mental illness. but first -- soledad: i'm soledad o'brien. welcome to "matter of fact," from new york city.